


Witness Protection

by chaoticrandomness



Category: Magic Knight Rayearth
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticrandomness/pseuds/chaoticrandomness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fuu, Ferio, and unexpected encounters that end in romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Witness Protection

I’m halfway through trying to figure out a plot for the videogame whose script I’m writing, when a knock on my door distracts me from my work.

 

_Didn’t I put up a do not disturb sign? Then again, it’s probably one of those kids who lives next door that wants me to tell them a story._

_But why would they be awake at three in the morning?_

“Who is this?” I ask as I muster up enough energy to walk towards the door and open it. I’m greeted by someone about my height with dark skin and green hair who’s carrying what looks like fencing equipment.

 

_Um… you are real, right? I’m not hallucinating handsome men out of sleep deprivation?_

“Okay, this is going to sound really weird and I’m really sorry if it is, but do you mind if I stay here for a bit?” he asks, and I still have no idea if this is real or some weird lucid dream.

 

_So, when a random stranger shows up at your house in videogames, that means they’re either a hero on a quest or a spirit who’ll curse you if you turn them away._

_Therefore, I should let this guy stay with me._

“Sure, come in. How long are you going to be here? The guest room’s the one on the right, and I’ll be collapsed over my kitchen table trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B.” I answer, and I probably should’ve shown him around my apartment, but I still had no energy and desperately wanted to sleep.

 

* * *

 

“...since when were you living with someone, Fuu?” my sister says as I open my eyes to her placing a basket of food on my kitchen table, and the guy from last night is sitting next to me and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

 

_For about… seven hours? Eight? I think? At least he’s real?_

“Thanks for the food, but I still don’t know why you’re doing this.” I answer, hoping that I don’t sound like I’m deflecting her questions, for I really need to finish this draft and send it in soon, and I can deal with the guy later.

 

“You asked me this the last time I showed up, and it’s because you don’t eat anything or leave your apartment when you write something. At least the guy you’re living with can inject some sense into you when you’re going on these writing-spirals.” she says, before she walks out the door.

 

_Should I at least ask what his name is? I mean, he’s at least gotten by my sister without her thinking that he’s a criminal, so good for him on that…_

“So, you’re a writer, Fuu?” he asks, his hand brushing against mine as he picks up one of the pages that’s lying on my table.

 

_Don’t read that, it’s awful. But keep the hand there, that’s nice._

“And you are?” I blurt out, for I really don’t want his first exposure to me as a writer to be from a coffee-stained illegible outline that’s probably awful.

 

“I teach small children how to fence, and I’m Ferio? Are we just tossing questions at each other, Fuu?” he asks in return, and at least he’s not reading anything, so that’s good…

 

_Do you teach at the same place as Umi Ryuuzaki, Ferio? She’s a friend of mine._

“Why is your hair green?” I blurt out, and I probably need a better brain-to-mouth filter, but I also am operating on about three hours of sleep and he doesn’t seem like the sort of person who’d be easily offended.

 

_Did you know that thirteen people every year are killed by vending machines? That there’s a medical condition called wind farm disease where people think they’re getting sick from wind farms, even though-_

“...my… older sister told me to dye it? It’s actually blond, in case you were wondering.” he answers, before he drinks some more coffee and walks out the door, leaving me with a pile of coffee-stained outlines and a golden ring that’s sitting right in front of my hand.

 

_It’s probably a coincidence, but I’ll just put it on anyways. And your older sister seems like a very strange person, Ferio. I’d like to meet her._

* * *

 

“So, what’s the videogame you’re writing called?” Ferio asks as he walks through my door, and I’m still stuck on how to get past this annoying plot-point that just won’t go away.

 

“How did you find out about what I was writing?” I ask, as I look up from my pile of work.

 

“I may have read one of those drafts in the pile of papers you keep lying around here.” he answers.

 

I’m very sorry you had to see them. At least Umi didn’t tell you about them?

 

“It actually doesn’t have a name and all I’m doing is writing a story from someone else’s ideas in which these girls fall into another world to save a princess-” I begin, before he cuts me off.

 

“-only to find out that they’re there to kill her?”

 

_That’s actually… a really good idea. Why didn’t I think of that?_

_Because the people playing the game want to think that they’re heroes and not evil. Also, you’re selling this to small children, who really don’t want a game with an unhappy ending._

“How did you come up with that?” I ask.

 

“I was just throwing out awful ideas to make you feel better about your writing. It’s actually pretty good.” he answers, and I probably should talk to him more, but I’ve grabbed my computer, opened a new document, and am letting my words flow like wind across the page.

 

* * *

 

“Can’t you see that there’s a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door? She’s busy, and please go away.”

 

“Fuu, I honestly don’t know who broke into your apartment, but your sister told me to tell you to stop writing and leave your house.” Umi says as I send my draft to my editor and try to muster up enough energy to walk to my door.

 

_I’m keeping him around, actually. It’s strange what could happen once you let people into your house at three AM._

“Tell her I’m finished with the draft. Ferio, I don’t know if you know her voice, but Umi is allowed to come here when I have that sign up.” I say.

_So, sound waves are amplified when they go through solid materials. Which means I should talk standing right next to the door to give Umi the best chance of hearing me._

“Fine, I’ll let you in if you’ll admit that I defeated you.” he answers, and they probably do teach in the same place…

_I’d like to watch you fence, Ferio. I’ve seen Umi, and she’s amazingly fluid… it’s like watching water in human form._

“You don’t just pull out another random sword out of nowhere halfway through the match!” Umi exclaims, and I really am not interesting in watching those two yell at each other across my apartment.

 

_If you are going to keep yelling about this, please do it somewhere else. Thanks._

“Anyways, how’s your writing going, Fuu?” Ferio asks as he pours me another cup of coffee.

 

“On the one hand, your idea did let me finish the entire thing in under twenty-four hours, but on the other hand, I’m out of ideas. Could you teach me how to fence?” I answer, and I have no idea why I threw that last bit in there.

 

_Well, I need something to do, and as I can’t program anything and my sister wants me to get out of the house, I might as well do that?_

“Couldn’t your friend also do that? I have today off.” he asks.

 

“I’ve known Umi for about ten years and I’d like to get to know you better.” I answer.

 

“...okay, fine, if you insist. So, what is your payment method?” he quips as he begins to smile a bit, but he’s also looking at the ring I’m wearing on my hand, which is his…

 

_At least I’m not wearing an evil one that corrupts its wearer? And you’re not evil and neither am I, so that’s good to know…_

“Would you like this ring back?” I ask, for I probably shouldn’t have worn it.

 

“No, you can keep that. I’d just prefer to not be teaching anyone near Umi for about three days, if you don’t mind.” he answers.

 

_So it’s either call Hikaru and ask if you can reasonably fence in a kendo dojo where no one is taking lessons, or wait three days and teach ‘Creative Writing for Dummies’ to Ferio and hope he doesn't mind being used as a temporary guinea-pig._

_Or, you could do both?_

 

* * *

 

“What do you dream about?” I ask, as I open up a new document on my computer.

 

“If I answer this question, will you stop trying to enroll me in your ‘How To Write, For Idiots’ class?” he asks in return.

 

“Dreams make very good story-telling ideas, however, they are often illogical. For example, I once dreamed that I was getting eaten by a giant marshmallow-” I begin, before he cuts me off.

 

“And no one would want to read a story about a giant marshmallow, so there’s no reason for us to be doing this.”

 

_Most people think that you wouldn’t want to read stories about fish that fly, except I wrote one about that and it was pretty well-received._

“Okay, you win. How about your older sister? That counts as a topic.” I ask, for we do need to get somewhere in this class.

 

“....um, she looks kind of like a shorter version of you, and she’s dead…. and I really don’t want to talk about this, so could you just call that friend of yours who supposedly has enough space for fencing lessons, Fuu?” he answers.

_Well, that was an awful place to get to._

_I’m really sorry for your loss, Ferio, and I didn’t expect that she was dead and she’s probably the reason behind you showing up at my house…_

I pick up my phone and call Hikaru with my right hand while holding his hand in my left, and end up accidentally rambling on about grief and death by vending machines, but at least I didn’t say anything too crazy.

 

* * *

 

Hikaru decides that the best course of action is to have a dark-haired man with black eyes show up at my house with a cake.

 

_Who exactly are you? Do I know you? Hikaru, did you just hire some random cake-deliverer turned grief-counselor to show up at my apartment, when all I wanted was to know if there was anyone at your house?_

“You get a lot of really weird visitors, Fuu. Have I met this guy before?” Ferio asks, pulling me out of my questions.

 

“I have no idea who he is, but he has a cake, so that’s good?” I ask, as my visitor passes me the cake and a bag filled with plastic forks.

 

“Is he related to a convicted murderer?”

 

_No?! This is a really weird direction to go in, and probably not the best place to bring it up…_

 

I’m about to say something to the visitor when I notice that he’s left, and I would like to know what random people Hikaru’s run into have to do with murders and cake and Ferio and anything…

 

_It’s like some weird convoluted story about the butterfly effect. Except with murderous butterflies and swords and friendship._

“...no, he’s not related to anyone who’s murdered anyone else, and I still don’t know who he is, but have a cake?” I ask as I close my door and make my way back to the table.

 

* * *

 

There’s another knock on my door the next day. I’m the only person home, as Ferio’s gone back to teaching small children with ninety times more hand-eye coordination than me how to fence and I’m now on the editing stage of my script.

 

_Oh, you like it? Don’t praise me, praise the guy I live with. He came up with it, and I just ran with it and took it to its logical conclusion._

“...ah, I know you have a do not disturb sign up, but I need to talk to you.” a soft voice says as I open the door to a short blonde girl in a white dress.

 

“I’m sorry that I’ve been busy, but I’ll try to include you in my children’s book test-groups.” I respond.

 

“I can’t be here for all that long, but do you know how my brother is?” the girl asks, and I have no idea what on earth she’s talking about right now.

 

_Um, the only person I’m in close enough contact with to say anything about is Ferio, and I’ve only known him for about three days and-_

_Wait, are you a ghost? How do you perform an exorcism?!_

“...I had to escape, and that was the only way I could do so without anyone trying to find me. It wasn’t the most rational plan, but once I realized how screwed-up my life was, I had to leave.” the girl rambles as I grab my phone and call Ferio.

 

_I’m not crazy. Okay, fine, I’m slightly crazy, but there’s a ghost trying to talk to me right now._

“Unless someone is actually trying to kill you, don’t bring more than-hello? Fuu, what’s going on right now?” he asks on the other end.

 

“The ghost of your sister is trying to talk to me right now.” I answer, and he doesn’t say anything.

 

_Ferio, I’m being serious. Can ghosts hold solid objects, or are they transparent?_

I pass the phone to the girl who may or may not be a ghost and is eating the cake Hikaru had delivered to us, and open up my computer to write something about how the removal of one day changes every single other one.

 

_What if August 6 and August 9 in 1945 didn’t happen? What if I was born three hundred years ago? What if the entire mafia got abducted by aliens?_

“Thank you for taking care of my brother.” the ghost says, as I adjust the ring on my finger and begin to type.

 

* * *

 

“So, did the ghost help?” I ask as he sits down at the table while carrying a notepad and fencing equipment.

 

“That wasn’t a ghost, Fuu.” he answers, as he takes my hand again.

 

_Wait, so that was some random person? Or your sister isn’t dead? Or both?_

“Well, we’ve got a lot to clear up between each other then, and you still need to finish out my test creative writing lesson.” I quip, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

 

“Can we begin with how I’m really glad to have ended up here to sort out my life, Fuu?” he asks.

 

“Yes, we can. I’d like you to stay for a while, but I’d for you to tell me why the ghost that wasn’t a ghost showed up here.” I answer, and this is probably insensitive, but I’ll just have to hope that it works out…

 

“I guess I’ll have to.” he says while smiling, before beginning to talk. I’m calmly recording everything he’s saying with one hand, while he’s holding onto my other one.

 

_This lesson was a success. So will any other lessons between us, and we’re in for an interesting ride through the world of life._

_Together._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first stab into writing for Rayearth. I hope it's not bad.


End file.
